Definitely don't want to be on tomorrow's news

Although this kind of fish isn't particularly rare in southern streams, one that has grown this large, with such perfect, dreamlike coloration, is truly a rare find.

In the transparent box, it looked like a swimming jewel, so beautiful that one couldn't look away.

Speaking of which, does the peach blossom fish represent luck in love?

Su Bai and Li Xingya seemed to think of this at the same time. Their eyes met, and the air inevitably grew a bit ambiguous.

The latter quickly crouched down, turning her gaze back to the fish.

Li Xingya squatted by the box, staring at the fish unblinkingly, her eyes full of adoration. "It's so beautiful, like... like a fish out of a fairy tale."

"Do you like it?" Su Bai asked with a smile.

"I do!" Li Xingya nodded vigorously, then hesitated. "But... if I take it back, will it survive? I heard these stream fish are hard to keep."

"You can give it a try. Later, I'll have someone set up a professional native stream tank in the lab, simulating its wild environment to ensure it lives even better than in the reservoir. In the future, when you're tired from writing code, you can look at it to improve your mood."

"Thank you, Boss~"

Looking at the colorful fish swimming freely in the water, her heart felt as sweet as honey.

Everything tonight felt like a dream to her.

The eighty-thousand-yuan lounge chair, the gentle embrace, what was about to happen with Su Bai in the apartment... and this beautiful, colorful fish.

She felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

"Alright, it's getting late. Pack it up, and we should get ready to head back."

Time to make a graceful exit.

...

Following the room number and passcode sent by Zhou Jialu, Su Bai held Li Xingya's hand and unlocked the door to the top-floor loft of the "Yunshang International Apartment Hotel," located in the bustling area near the south gate of Normal University.

The moment the door opened, the smart home system automatically activated. The curtains slowly drew back, and soft, warm-toned lights flickered on one by one.

What greeted their eyes was a spacious living room with a ceiling nearly five meters high. The massive floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the bustling nightscape in the southern part of Jiangcheng.

I have to admit, Zhou Jialu is really reliable when it comes to getting things done.

Not only was the room filled with a cozy aromatherapy scent, but light pink rose petals—arranged tastefully rather than in a tacky way—were scattered across the oversized double bed on the second floor, which directly faced the windows.

Seeing this setup, Li Xingya grew shy again, feeling like the heroine of a romance novel being treated with earnest romance.

For Su Bai, however, this was just standard procedure.

Alas, playing the romantic was just a matter of practice.

Before he knew it, Su Bai had relied on his stats to become a master player.

"Boss, does... does this place really only cost a few hundred yuan?"

She asked in disbelief, "It looks nicer than any house I've ever seen..."

Is it possible you were just too frugal with your hotel stays in the past?

Silently roasting her, Su Bai nodded. "It is pretty nice. While the hard furnishings might fall slightly short of a traditional five-star hotel, it definitely holds its own in terms of soft decor and smart technology."

He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the busy traffic below, and felt a twinge of sentimentality.

In truth, the barrier to entry for luxury hotels these days was getting lower and lower.

Once upon a time, five-star hotels represented an insurmountable class barrier and the ultimate experience. But in recent years, with the transparency of supply chains and the democratization of design aesthetics, boutique apartments and designer homestays like this one could offer highly competitive lodging experiences.

This was evident from the recent decline in performance and the wave of closures among domestic luxury hotels over the past two years.

Those old-school luxury hotels, clinging to their outdated ways with arrogant service and aging facilities, were being ruthlessly undercut by these new, cost-effective businesses that better understood young people.

"Do you like it?" Su Bai turned to look at her.

"I-I like it!" Li Xingya nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Su Bai smiled, taking off his jacket and hanging it aside. "Alright, how about a shower first? The bathtub here should be pretty big."

He carried Li Xingya into the bathroom to shower together.

The sudden initiative left Li Xingya at a loss, but this was a necessary step before their first time.

Getting familiar with each other's bodies.

...

Half an hour later.

The two walked out of the bathroom wrapped in bathrobes.

Li Xingya was panting, looking quite exhausted.

Su Bai, on the other hand, rolled his wrists a few times to stretch.

He saw Li Xingya's wet hair draped over her shoulders, her skin flushed an alluring pink from the steam. Although the bathrobe was loose, it couldn't hide her breathtaking curves; instead, the teasing concealment only added to her enticing charm.

However, her walking posture was a bit stiff, and she was trembling slightly.

"What's wrong? Are you cold?"

"N-No, I'm not cold, wuwu..."

"Oh, you must be a little nervous, right?"

"Mhm." Li Xingya glanced at Su Bai. "I didn't mean to be nervous..."

"Hahaha, it's only human nature. Why apologize? You don't have to keep apologizing to me from now on."

Su Bai couldn't help but reach out and pinch Li Xingya's soft cheeks, bringing a shy, silly smile to her face.

If a girl was too nervous during her first time and her muscles contracted excessively, not only would the experience be terrible, but it could even be dangerous.

There had been plenty of news reports about such awkward dilemmas—young couples getting stuck because the woman was too nervous and suffered muscle spasms, ultimately forcing them to call an ambulance and have doctors and firefighters carry them to the hospital for emergency treatment.

That was true social death, the kind that would make someone want to pack up and move to another planet overnight.

Although Su Bai was confident in his own abilities, he didn't want to leave Li Xingya with any psychological trauma, nor did he want to make the front page of tomorrow's news.

It was time to use [Causality Physiotherapy]!

This master-level skill had proven its worth on his female confidantes many times before.

Helping Li Xingya relax would be no problem at all.

A warm current flowed from Su Bai's palm, slowly infusing into Li Xingya's body.

This wasn't just a simple massage; it involved precise adjustments to the human body's muscles, meridians, and even the nervous system.

Su Bai's fingers slid slowly down her spine. Every press seemed to carry a strange rhythm, accurately targeting the tense nodes within her body.

"Mmm..."

She was surprised to find that with Su Bai's movements, the uncontrollable tension and stiffness were actually fading away bit by bit.

Replacing it was an unprecedented sense of relaxation and a tingly numbness.

It felt like soaking in a perfectly heated hot spring, where every pore opened up and all fears melted away in the warm current.

"Boss... your hands... are so warm..."

Li Xingya looked at Su Bai with glazed eyes. The hands that had been tightly gripping the bedsheets loosened, resting softly on Su Bai's shoulders.

Ah, now this is more like it!